Trowbridge rugby players all set for biggest game in club's history

Excitement is building at Trowbridge Rugby Club as fans and officials prepare for the biggest game in their history at Twickenham.

On Saturday the first team secured its place in the RFU Intermediate Cup Final at the iconic home of English rugby on May 4 by beating Guildford away by 19-17.

Fans and players alike were ecstatic but for now its business as usual for coach Steve Ojomoh, the former Bath and England star, and the team because they are preparing for another big match – this Saturday'spromotion play-off decider against Aylesbury, which could see them return to the South West (level six) League.

First team manager Nobby Knight is among those organising arrangements for the Twickenham game.

He travelled to the ground on Tuesday with the club’s finance manager Chris Lamb to meet with the team’s big match opponents from Leek and tour the facilities.

He said: “It’s going absolutely manic at the moment, we’re getting inquiries galore, and that’s only going to get busier.

“Going to Twickenham was excellent, the England under-7s were training there which was fantastic. The lads are going to thoroughly enjoy it, as will all the spectators.

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“I lost the coin toss, so we’ll be the away team in our yellow kit, which is fortunate as the guys from Leek said they only had the one kit.

“It means we’ll be changing in the same rooms as the All Blacks and the Springboks; some of the major players in the world.”

Mr Knight, who also works as head groundsman, said the game would be a real family affair. He said: “I’ve been at the club for 15 years, and playing in the mud and water of Green Lane we never thought this could happen.

“My whole family will be coming down for the game. My son plays scrumhalf and my wife helps out at the club.

“My other son is coming down with his wife, and my daughter works at the bar, so she will be coming too. It will be a fantastic day.”

Club president Mike James joined as a 15-year-old in 1963, and has been involved with the club ever since. He said: “We have never been here before, never even got close to it.

“I think it’s fair to say up until we moved to Hilperton a significant number of people in the town probably didn’t even know Trowbridge had a rugby club, so are hoping it will bring the rugby club more into the focus of people in the town, and it would be nice to see a group of people who wouldn’t normally come to watch us down at Twickenham.”